LONDON — PIR Equities, an employee owned private equity firm focused on opportunistic value-based investing, is optimistic about the future of blockchain technology.

Established in 2008 by Joseph Aaron Horowitz and Oded ‘O.D.’ Kobo, the firm manages a varied portfolio including interests in property, securities, technology and ownership in operating businesses with over $650 million in assets.

PIR Equities has committed to invest $50 million in blockchain technology companies over the next 12 months. The company plans to support blockchain entrepreneurs and the community, which was founded on ideals of openness and decentralization. In a recent report by Managing Partner Joseph Aaron Horowitz to employees, he writes, “We have entered the digital economy and blockchain is as significant today as the Internet was 25 years ago. There are many uses for this emerging technology and the more we are involved, the more we can try to leverage it, and as a long-term investment firm we must be there.”

In an interview with South China Morning Post, PIR Equities Co-founder, O.D. Kobo, stated, “I have long been an advocate of blockchain technology as well as personally investing in various digital currencies since 2016, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. I am happy that I have finally managed to convince the rest of my partners and the investment committee at PIR Equities to enter the space.”

Joseph Aaron Horowitz is the Managing Partner at PIR Equities and serves as a member of the investment committee. Prior to joining PIR Equities in 2008, Mr. Horowitz held various executive roles at Goldman Sachs and was a member of the Financial Institutions Group at Morgan Stanley as a senior analyst.

Oded ‘O.D.’ Kobo is an accomplished Internet entrepreneur and businessman with over $250 million in technology related exists over the last decade. Mr. Kobo is a co-founder of PIR Equities, and has assisted in raising nearly $1.1 billion in capital for various startups, real estate investment groups and private equity funds. An avid start-up investor and mentor, Mr. Kobo sits on the board of over 30+ companies.